The present invention relates to braking devices for skis, more particularly those in which the passage of the braking members from their operative braking position to their inoperative skiing position is effected by vertical and lateral retraction.
At the present time, safety straps have largely been abandoned in favor of ski brakes. These braking devices generally comprise at least one braking member (and preferably two) which, at the moment the binding is released, swings under the influence of a resilient means jutting out from the lower surface of the ski, and stops the ski close to the skier. When the ski is put on again, the action of the boot on a pedal causes the braking member or members to go up so as to permit skiing to proceed. This motion is generally made by rotation about an axis which extends substantially transversely of the longitudinal axis of the ski.
With this known arrangement, there is only one vertical retraction of the braking member or members which, though they do not jut out from the bottom of the sliding surface, nevertheless pass laterally beyond the ski edges. This lateral extension is detrimental, because during certain movements, there is the danger that the braking member or members may bite prematurely into the snow or even into roots or stones. To overcome this disadvantage, it has already been suggested to provide for lateral as well as vertical retraction when the ski is put on, so that the braking member(s) during skiing are also retracted in relation to the edge of the ski, to allow trouble-free edging movements.